 On July 27, 2015, photo, Chris Christie speaks during a town hall meeting in Keene, N.H. Flashback to the summer of 1999, when John McCain didn't have many big names on the side of his presidential campaign. He didn't have much money or decent crowds, and even resorted at one point to giving away ice cream to lure voters to an event. Enter the town hall. Perhaps none of the candidates competing for the GOP nomination are following the McCain playbook as closely as Christie, who flew to New Hampshire the day he announced and has held at least 21 public events in the state over the last month (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)  | THE BIG IDEA by Philip Rucker: Call this the battle of the town halls. The Republican presidential candidates are not scheduled to appear on the same stage again until the Sept. 16 debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. But six of the leading candidates will be in the same area code on Wednesday, holding competing town hall meetings within close proximity to one another. Front-runner Donald Trump will hold a town hall meeting — his first as a candidate — at Pinkerton Academy in Derry at 6:30 p.m. Trump has plenty of practice fielding questions from journalists at news conferences, but this will be the first time he answers questions from voters. At the same time and only 20 miles down the road, Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who trails Trump in national and state polls, will hold a town hall meeting at a VFW post in Merrimack. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, no stranger to rollicking town hall meetings, will hold one of his own at 7 p.m. at Molly's Tavern, a bar outside of Manchester, while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will be at a house party in Derry, not far from Trump's event. A couple hours earlier in the evening, Walker will hold a town hall meeting in Barrington. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former technology executive Carly Fiorina also are holding town hall meetings on Wednesday. Kasich's is in Salem at 1 p.m., while Fiorina's is in Laconia, on the scenic shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, at 5:30 p.m. Most of these candidates have come to New Hampshire to address an education reform summit on Wednesday at Londonderry High School. Bush, Fiorina, Kasich, Walker, Christie, as well as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, will appear at the forum. Trump is not expected to attend and the candidates will not share a stage. Instead, each will appear on his or her own to answer questions from Campbell Brown, a broadcast journalist-turned-education reform advocate. The forum – sponsored by Brown's new education-focused news outlet, The Seventy Four, and the American Federation of Children – is designed to spotlight education issues in the presidential campaign, especially support for charter schools. However, more fireworks are expected at the town hall meetings later in the day. Such events are a staple of New Hampshire campaigns, as voters in the first-in-the-nation primary state prize their opportunities to ask candidates questions about any topic they choose. For Trump, Wednesday night's town hall meeting will be an important test of his performance skills. Can he think on his feet with voters? How will he deal with potential scrutiny from them? And will the outbursts and interruptions that make his news conferences and interviews so memorable go over well with a live audience? Trump expects to draw the biggest crowd. After announcing on Monday that he had scheduled a town hall meeting to compete at the same time as Bush's, Trump has laid down the gauntlet. Programming Note: James Hohmann is on vacation this week. Stay tuned for Big Ideas from fellow Posties David Fahrenthold, Robert Costa and Ed O’Keefe. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: — The German parliament is voting on Wednesday to ratify the Greek bailout. The German Bundestag is expected to approve the $95 billion bailout after signs that Chancellor Angela Merkel won’t face much of a rebellion, reports The Guardian. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble, a bailout skeptic, said Athens deserved another chance after accepting the agreement’s harsh terms.
— Louis Stokes, 90, Ohio’s first African-American congressman, has died after being diagnosed in July with lung and brain cancer. GET SMART FAST: - A new CNN/ORC poll shows Trump as the “clear leader” in the Republican field with 24 percent of registered GOPers support; Jeb Bush lags behind with 13 percent, with Ben Carson coming in at 9 percent and Marco Rubio and Scott Walker pulling 8 percent.
- The Federal Drug Administration approved the first drug — known as “Addyi” — designed to improve female sex drive.
- Post reporter Jason Rezaian is “steeling” himself for a verdict from a Tehran judge, which could come as early as today, his relatives said.
- The Islamic State reportedly beheaded an antiquities scholar at the Palmyra ruins in the Syrian desert.
- After two women made it out of Army Ranger school, Adm. Jon Greenert, chief of Naval Operations, told Defense News that the elite Navy SEALS will also allow women as long as they pass its grueling training course. “Why shouldn’t anybody who can meet these [standards] be accepted? And the answer is, there is no reason,”Greenert said.
- Zimbabwe charged a second African man with allowing an American dentist to hunt Cecil the lion, but the dentist — Walter Palmer — has yet to be charged.
- Planned Parenthood targeted four GOP senators with ads slamming them for voting to defund the group following the release of undercover videos showing officials talking about using aborted fetal tissue for research. They include 2016 candidates Sen. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Pat Toomey (Pa.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.). Correction: yesterday’s 202 suggested that N.H. Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) took action against Planned Parenthood when it was actually the New Hampshire Executive Council).
- Secure America Now will today begin running a Snapchat campaign targeting Marylanders who want Democrat Ben Cardin (Md.) — a key swing vote — to oppose the Iran nuclear deal.
- The U.S. government threatened to impose United Nations sanctions on South Sudan if there isn’t an end to fighting there within 15 days.
- The federal government would like you to review its performance — how long you waited in line, whether the U.S. Forest Service effectively tackled wildfires — on Yelp. That’s right.
Carly Fiorina gets things going with a one-star review of the TSA:  The White House announced the appointment Tuesday of Raffi Freedman-Gurspan’s in the Office of Personnel. Transgender advocates say she is the first openly transgender official to serve in the White House. (National Center for Transgender Equality via AP) POWER PLAYERS IN THE NEWS: - Hillary Clinton tangled with reporters over her email server yesterday on a visit to Las Vegas, telling them she had no idea if she’d wiped it clean of data. “What, like with a cloth or something?” she answered when asked if it was wiped. “I don't know how it works at all.” When Fox News’ Ed Henry pressed, Clinton shrugged and walked away: "Nobody talks to me about it other than you guys,” she said.
- Transgender advocates say that Raffi Freedman-Gurspan on Tuesday became the first openly transgender person to serve in the White House. She was appointed outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, in his first face-to-face interview about his cancer diagnosis since announcing it in June, says he “aced my test” and is 95 percent cancer free after two months of intensive treatment, according to the Post’s Ovetta Wiggins. Hogan said his doctors were shocked by his progress after finding “60 tumors the size of oranges, apples and golf balls on his neck, chest, abdomen and groin.
- “Black Lives Matters’ activists released a video depicting an exchange with Hillary Clinton about her husband’s criminal justice record. Clinton responded by saying she believed in changing policy not “hearts.” In an op-ed for PowerPost, movement co-founder Patrisse Cullors said the group would continue to disrupt presidential rallies.
- The issue of ending birthright citizenship continued to percolate on the campaign trail (thanks to Donald Trump). Both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio said they supported the right of those born in the country to automatically become citizens.
- New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is now the second Senate Democrat to reject the Iran nuclear deal, but his opposition is not surprising. Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is the only other Senate Democrat to openly oppose the deal; 21 Senate Democrats say they support it, right now.
 Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in his first sitdown interview on Aug. 18, 2016, since his cancer diagnosis in June. WAPO HIGHLIGHTS: —“Fading in the polls Scott Walker aims to attract Trump voters,” by Jenna Johnson and Sean Sullivan: “Scott Walker has sought to reassure jittery donors and other supporters this week that he can turn around a swift decline in the polls in Iowa and elsewhere by going on the attack and emphasizing his conservatism on key issues. In a conference call, one-on-one conversations and at a Tuesday lunch, the Wisconsin governor and darling of anti-union conservatives told backers that the campaign is shifting to a more aggressive posture and will seek to tap into the anti-establishment fervor fueling the rise of Donald Trump and other outsider candidates…Walker said the campaign would strive to do better in three areas: protest, passion and policy. ‘We need to step it up and remind people that we didn't just take on the unions and Democrats, we had to take on my own party establishment, those who did not want to take on the status quo,’ Walker said on the call…He added later: ‘One thing I heard about the first debate was: 'You were fine, you did no wrong, but people want to feel the passion’…Walker now intends to focus his energy primarily on challengers from the right — a constituency that is particularly important in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, which aides view as a must-win contest for him.” —“For Mexicans, Trump’s bid is getting scarier,” by Joshua Partlow: From Mexico City: “‘We don't know if we should laugh or if we should cry,’ said Guadalupe Loaeza, a prominent Mexican columnist. ‘We think he's really a nightmare’…’What he says makes me laugh, but it's a nervous laughter,’ said Gustavo Vega Canovas, a professor at the international studies center of the prestigious College of Mexico. ‘His comments sound to me like Germany in the 1930s, when they made Jews responsible for everything that was happening. He's playing with the fears of an important part of the American population’…The Mexican government has tried mostly to stay above the fray. Over the past few months, Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade and other top officials have gone on record with their displeasure about Trump's comments…Asked how the Mexican government views Trump's immigration plan, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that ‘we continue to stand by our position that these comments reflect prejudice, racism or plain ignorance. Anyone who understands the depth of the U.S.-Mexico relationship realizes that those proposals are not only prejudiced and absurd, but would be detrimental to the well-being of both societies.'” SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ: — ZIGNAL VISUAL: Scott Walker’s dip in the polls has been tracked (or presaged?) by an overall decline in mentions on social and traditional media. During the first two months of this year, the Wisconsin governor was enjoying a “boomlet,” says our analytics partner Zignal labs. The Republican was mentioned more often than any other GOP candidate except Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in both traditional and social media. 
But over the last 30 days, that has changed. Walker’s share of voice has dipped dramatically, with only 4 percent of media mentions dedicated to him. 
Pictures of the day: The meme of Donald Trump’s hair on animals continues with #trumpyourdog and #trumpyourhog:  (barkbox) Marco Rubio flipped pork chops at the Iowa State Fair:  (marcorubiofla) Elsewhere at the fair, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) shared a photo of Sampson, the 2,893-pound bull who won the “Super Bull” title:  (senatorchuckgrassley) And Hillary Clinton celebrated the 95th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment:  (hillaryclinton) Tweets of the day: Conservatives blasted Hillary Clinton following her comments about her email server at a press conference: Earlier in the day, Clinton broke with President Obama to oppose drilling in the Arctic: This prompted a response from Jeb Bush: .@HillaryClinton Wrong. Being more-anti energy than Obama is extreme. We should embrace energy revolution to lower prices & create US jobs. — Jeb Bush (@JebBush) August 18, 2015 Mike Huckabee ran into Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame in Israel:  (@GovMikeHuckabee) “I am officially retired!” tweeted Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), referring to her military service:  (@tammyduckworth) Instagrams of the day: Jeb and Columba Bush attended the baptism of grandson Jack:  (jebbush) Chris Christie wished his son Patrick a happy 15th birthday:  (chrischristie) And the Romney family enjoyed a hike:  (annromney) GOOD READS FROM ELSEWHERE:  The Donald with sister Maryanne Trump Barry in Scotland in 2008. (Photo:Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images) — New York Times, “Familiar Talk on Women, from an Unfamiliar Trump,” by Jason Horowitz: “‘Professional hypochondriacs,’ the speaker [to a mostly female crowd of law enforcement agents] said, were making it hard for ‘men to be themselves’ and were turning ‘every sexy joke of long ago, every flirtation,’ into ‘sexual harassment,’ thus ruining ‘any kind of playfulness and banter. Where has the laughter gone?’ As for boorish behavior, the best way to disarm it was with ‘humor and gentle sarcasm,’ or better yet, that ‘potent weapon’ of a ‘feminine exterior and a will of steel’…these particular Trumpisms came instead from [Donald’s] older sister, Maryanne Trump Barry…A senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit who was appointed to the bench by Ronald Reagan and promoted by Bill Clinton, Ms. Barry, 78, would perhaps be the ideal person to argue in her brother's defense as he faces familiar accusations of misogyny, if she would speak publicly…Although she did not start law school until after her son was in sixth grade, Ms. Barry has had a four-decade career as a prosecutor and federal judge…Ms. Barry earned a reputation as a tough judge with a strong command of her courtroom.” — Associated Press, “Legacy Bush Donors Account for Half of Jeb Bush’s Donations,” by Julie Bycowicz: “Jeb Bush’s fundraising network is two generations in the making, and it shows. About half of the roughly $120 million raised to help him win the Republican presidential nomination comes from donors who previously gave to his brother or father, both former presidents, according to a new analysis of Federal Election Commission records by Crowdpac.com, a nonpartisan political research company…Indeed, the money raised in the first six months of the year by Bush’s campaign, leadership political action committee and super PAC is more than double that of anyone else in the 17-person Republican primary race.” — CNNPolitics, “Walker’s health care plan: Repeal Obamacare, replace it with conservative alternative” by Ted LoBianco: Walker “outlined a health care plan Tuesday that would repeal Obamacare and replace it with a mashup of conservative priorities, from capping Medicaid payments to letting people buy insurance across state lines. Walker, who has been slipping in national polls recently, cast the proposal as a fight against Washington and said he would also end the special exemption for members of Congress carved out in the federal Affordable Care Act.” –Associated Press, “Rubio’s Slow Start in Iowa, New Hampshire puzzles GOP,” by Julie Pace and Sergio Bustos: “While some GOP hopefuls are already highlighting their progress toward visiting all of Iowa’s 99 counties, Rubio’s return to the state this week marks his first stop in the caucus battleground in a month. The Florida senator hasn’t traveled to New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation primary, since July 4, though he is expected to return before the end of August…’You’ve had some of the others who have worked it a lot harder,’ said Richard Schwarm, a former Iowa GOP chairman who is uncommitted in the 2016 race. ‘I don’t think it’s too late. But I think he should step up the appearances here because we are wide open.’ Fergus Cullen, a former New Hampshire GOP chairman who has yet to back a candidate, said that while Rubio benefits from ‘goodwill and interest,’ his infrequent appearances in the state have cost him early endorsements. ‘He would have more if he spent more time here,’ Cullen said…The senator’s advisers say they see little reason to worry about early state grumbling at this juncture in the campaign. Even after a burst of momentum following his campaign launch and a strong performance in the first GOP debate, Rubio’s team has said it doesn’t expect the young senator to surge until fall or even winter, when voters start paying more attention to the White House race.” HOT ON THE LEFT Clinton to Black Lives Matter: 'You're not going to change every heart.' From Talking Points Memo: "A video released Monday night showed Hillary Clinton meeting privately with Black Lives Matter representatives from Massachusetts last week, and telling activists that change would come through changing the system, not changing hearts … 'You're going to have to come together as a movement and say, 'Here’s what we want done about it,'' Clinton said to the activists in the video. 'You can get lip service from as many white people as you can pack into Yankee Stadium and a million more like it.'" | | | HOT ON THE RIGHT Ben Carson makes river spill a 2016 campaign topic. From the Denver Post: "Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson visited Durango on Tuesday to use the Gold King mine spill into the Animas River to draw attention to his plan to revamp the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The move made Carson the first 2016 candidate to highlight the environmental disaster, though the former neurosurgeon is far from the first politico to see political implications in a 3-million gallon deluge of wastewater caused by an EPA-led crew." | | | DAYBOOK: –What’s happening today on the campaign trail: Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Bobby Jindal and Scott Walker will attend the New Hampshire Education Summit. Fiorina will also hold events in Wentworth and Laconia, N.H. Rick Perry will speak at the Des Moines Register's Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. Martin O’Malley will campaign in San Francisco.
–On the Hill: Both chambers are in recess. –At the White House: President Obama is on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “What, like with a cloth or something?” answered Hillary Clinton when pressed by reporters if the private email server she used as secretary of state had been wiped. “I don't know how it works at all.” | NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.: –“After that several-day stretch of hot and dry days, the forecast has turned more complicated as moisture levels increase and a cold front approaches tomorrow. Today and tomorrow both carry a chance of showers and storms, with typical August heat and high humidity. Friday and the weekend may not be totally shower-free, but should be nice overall and a bit less humid,” reports the Capital Weather Gang. –The Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies, 15-6. –After three more deaths from homicides yesterday, Washington D.C. has “recorded 97 homicides this year, up about 30 percent from this time last year and nearing 2014's total of 105.” What’s going on? VIDEO OF THE DAY: Watch Josh Groban sing Donald Trump tweets:  (Jimmy Kimmel Live) Watch today’s best gif — Marco Rubio throwing a football and accidentally hitting a kid in the face:  (@moody) Watch a Vine that is starting to go viral — Hillary’s shruggie after her press conference. |
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